Exhaust purifier



Dec. 18, 1928.

L. MARKELS EXHAUST PURIFIER Filed Aug. 31, 1923 IN VEN TOR A TTORNE Y y [lill/lll Patented Dec. 18, 1928.

UNITED STATESg PATE :norm umane, or New roux, N. Y. i meer remmen.

Application led August 31,y 1923. Serial No. 660,300.

This invention is a means for purifying l and deodorizing the exhaust gases from an the aforesaidk application ythere is a possi bility of an obstruction to the flow of ther exhaust gases vthrough the chamber that is charged with the, purifyin medium, such obstruction being occasione by an injury to thechamber when yin service on the under part of a motor vehicle, or tothe-,clogging yof the filtering agents due to the accumulation of solid residue from the gaseaand inatten-Y tion on the part of the driver in neglecting to clean outsaid chamber, or to'other causes.

Such obstruction to the exhaust flow is detrimental'to the o ration of the engine, and to overcomer the oregoing objections I have provided an automatic relief valve in thek line of the exhaust' connections and at a point in advance of the admission of such exhaust to the purifying chamber,"such relief valve being opened automatically by the exhaust pressure and'affording a desirable relief to the purifying chamber, whereby the purifier` as awhole is adapted for' meeting service conditions without impairing ythe efficiency of the motor.-r n l It is preferred `for simplicity of construc-V tion and installation to associate the relief valve with lthe by-pass valve of my prior application, and with this purpose in view Ik have produced a novel valve structure combining a manually controllable bypass valve and a pressure controlled relief valve.

Other functions and advanta es ofthe in 4o vention will ap from the ollowin deseription taken 1n connection with the rawings, wherein*- Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinalsectional view through an exhaust purifier embodying the invention, and

Figure 2 kis a horizontal sectional `view through the combined by-pass valve and re` lief valve` with an appropriate operating means for the -by-pass valve, said view illustrating by full lines the by-pass valve in a positionfor insuring the exhaust flow to the urier,lwhereas the dotted lines show vthe Ey-pass shifted for the exhaust tok flow to atmosphere. l n

55 ,A designates an enter casing comprising a cylindrical shelll provided with a removable NT oFFlcE.

head a at one end, the otherv closure aik having a female` threaded nipple a2.

Within the casing is a charge container B adapted for removal bodily from the casing. This charge container is inthe form of an yimperfora'te casing providedat one end with a head I) from.y which protrudes a male threaded couplin b' adapted to be screwed partlway into t enipple a2 of the outer shell, thereby detachably coupling the charge container to the outer shell. At the oppositeiend, the charge container is provlded v with a head c from which extends an exhaust discharge o, the latter protruding through an opening of the rear headl a of said outer shell., Within the front end of the charge container is a plurality of metallic screens e between which is confined a filtering medium, such an asbestos fabric e. Within the rear part of the vcharge container are other metallic screens f With'intervening filtering niaterial f', land between the end screens the chamber of the charge container is filled with an appropriate agent or agents such as yF' for purifying or deoderizing, or purifying and deodorizing, the exhaust gases in a. manner to render said gases pure and thus change the character of the gasesso as to placethe same in a condition innocuous to human life. Any agent suitable kfor the purpose may be filledr Within the charge' container intermediate the yforward and rearward filtering means, but in the course of my experimental work on this invention I have discovered and found that activated nut charcoal is, so far as I now know, the agent most suitable for purifying and deodorizinga motor exhaust, hence I desire to lay claim to such agent as apart of my invention for the specified purpose. f

The agent which I have found to be `most Y suitable for the purposes of my invention in tervalof time into a mass which, owing to its compactness ork density, would have a tendency to obstruct to an appreciable extent the outflow of the exhaust gases.

In addition to its qualities as an agent t'or purifying the exhaust gases by absorption, the activated charcoal is t'ree from tendency to become compacted into a solid mass or to become reduced to a powdery condition by the impact ot the eI-Lhaust gases, and, vturthermore, such individual particles ol loose charcoal act as a tilte.' medium ,tor the cxhaust by mechanically retainingl the particles of carbon present in the exhaust.

li is a valve ca ugr shown herein as having' a `erouiul seat r a plug valve C a? ited to control the by-pass tiow et the minor exhaust. This plug valve is shown a taperingbody providel ith a chamber f/ and with a plurality ot po 7:2 and a relief port rfhe head or top ot pass valve is termed with recess constitutes a seat around the rele the bywhich c. l port c' for the relief valve I, the latter beingl adapted to occupy the seat y' tor closing' the reliet port fz'.

rlhe valve casing B is provided witlA coupling nipples at opposite sides thereot, one ot' said coupling; nipplesl ha 1I screwed into the nipple at ot' the purity ng shell A, whereas the other coupling nipple receives a male threaded part in land or sleeve D by which the valve shell ic attached to the exhaust delivery E ot a mutiler E, the latter being` indicated only in Fig e l.

The lay-pass valve C made solid at the lower part below the chamber g therein, and is formed with a protruding; threaded tenon is, extending` below the bottom member O' the valve shell B so as to receive a lock washer 7a and a nut if, whereby the by-pass valve is held in a tixed position relative to the valve shell.

The relief valve I is shown as provided with a stem I that passes dowmvardly through the chan'iber g and the tenen t: of the by-pass, and on the lower protruding' end of this relief valve stem is positioned a coiled spring I, the tension ot which is regulatable by the adjustment ot nuts 'i2 screwed upon the lower extremity of the valve stem I.

rlhe shell B ot thel by-pass valve is provided in one side thereof with a port m surrounded by a nipple n open to the atmosphere, said port fm and nipple n being in the horizontal plane of the con]A ling nipples b3 ot said valve shell and ez-Ltending at a right an gle thereto. The ports .7a zf ot the by-pass valve are in opposite sides thereot so as to open into chamber g, and when in register with the nipples 7);". the ports and chamber ot' the valve provide tor the `free flow of the engine :thai into the purilier. The other port 7i? ot the oy-pass is in one side o'f the valve. and when the latter in the full line position of Figure 2, the port 71,2 is closed by the valve shell, the valvel C closing` the nhaust port m to atn'iosphere.

The by-pass valve may be given a partial rotation to assume the dotted line position ol" Figure 2, wherein the ports /l 7i is? are reversed so that port /z is lin register with the outlet ai, port is in register with the torward nipple Zr", and port 7i" is closed, whereby the l'iow ol: exh: ses is cut oil' troni the puritier and suc n, 'es are discharged directly o atmosphere through the port m. Any desired means i'or imparting rotative nu; ement to 'the by-pass valve may be used, but as shown, the upper part ot the valve plug' C is recessed to provide a shoulder 0 to which is litted a ringr O provided with a finger 0. A link P is pivoted to this linger and to a rod p, the latter being linked at p at its other end to a depending arm g ot a pedal Q having two .members positioned at an angle one to the other so that the pedal may be shifted to one position by pressure applied by the toot to open the lay-pass valve to atmosphere. and by toot ure against the other pedal member for shitting the luy-pass valve `lor direc-tiner the flow ot the exhaust to the puritier.

ln the service of the purilicr provision is made tor the expeditious removal ol the charge container and its contents from the outer casing )l by removing the head a and unscrewing the charge container trom the nipple ce?, thus permittingl the operator to obtain access readily to the interior ol the charge container for cleaning it Vfrom the solid residue or carbon which may accumulate against the screens and the filtering layers, and for renewing the purifying and deodorizing agent or agents F within the chamber ot said container. Obviously, the charge can be renewed as desired, and the whole container replaced. Ordinarily, the by-pass to atmosphere is closed by the valve G and the latter positioned as in full lines in Figures l and 2 for directing the exhaust flow 'from the mufiler to the purifier, from which the deodorizedand purified exhaust escapes through the delivery element c. As explained, the ow ot the exhaust out oit the purifier may be obstructed by an injury to the casing A or to the container B, or by an accumulation ot' solid residue trom the. exhaust against the screen or screens 0r the filtering agents, 0r even on the mass ot purifyingr agent F, and as the vent m to atmosphere is closed by the bypass valve, such obstruction cuts ott the outlet for the exhaust gases. As a result of this condition the motor discharges the exhaust into a. closed space or chamber, and the accumulated gases establish a pressure within the by-pass valve chamber g, the etiect of Letters Patent is z- 1 1. In a device of the class described, a

purifier', a by-pass valve for controlling the flow of exhaust thereto, and a pressure operated relief valve eo-operable with, associated with and seated upon said by-pass valve and adapted to be opened by the pressure' of exhaust gases when the by-pass valve is closed to atmosphere.

2. In a deviceof the class described, an exhaustconnection for the outflow of engine gases, ak purifier, a by-pass valve intermediate the exhaust connection and said purilier,

and affording a vent to .atmosphere when shifted to cut off the iow of the exhaust to the purifier, and a separate relief valve car ried by the byass valve and also positioned intermediate t e urifier and the exhaust connection, said re ief valve being normally closed and adapted to be opened by pressure l of the exhaust to open a separate vent to atmosphere when the by-pass valve is open to the purifier and the How of exhaust through said urifier is obstructed.

3. In a device of the class described, an exhaust connection, a purifier, a by-pass valve providedwith a plurality of vents to atmosphere, one of which vents is adapted to be opened and closed by shifting the position of said by-pass valve, and a relief valve carried by the by-pass valve and normally closing the other vent to atmosphere, said relief valve being operable by the pressure of the accumulated exhaust when the flow of such exhaust through said purifier is obstructed.

4; In a device of the class described, an exhaust connection, a purifier, a by-pass valve positioned in the line of fioW of the exhaust from the 'exhaust connection to the purifier, said by-pass valve being provided with a plurality of vents to atmosphere, means fory shifting the by-pass valve to open oney of said vents to atmosphere, a relief valve carried b the by-pass valve and normally closing t e other vent to atmosphere, and means for placing tension on the relief valve.

5. In a device of the class described, a purifying chamber, a 4hollow rotary by-pass valve interposed between the same and the flow ofthe exhaust thereto, and a relief valve kseated upon the outer end of the saidl by iass valve and normally closed and supporte by the by-pass valve and unaffected by the rotation of the'latter, said by pass valve normally closing the vent to the atmosphere and the relief valve being opened by excess of exhaust pressure in the by pass valve chamber.

In testimony ywhereof I have hereto signed my name this 30th day of August,y

LEONARD MARKELS. y 

